Unglued

source: Family Christian

My mom passed this book along to me, probably after spending hours with me and my kids, for those moments when you become unglued.  Which honestly I feel like is a lot of the time.  I've read through about 1/3 of the book so far and love Lysa's honest accounts of her personal life.  Who really wants to admit that they have a short fuse and yell at their kids and husband? 

I admit it because I do have a short fuse and am quick to shout and yell.  Everyone in my family can attest to this.  I think I've yelled at everyone at one point or another:)  Of course there are more productive ways to handle a situation.  Like not screaming at everyone when you reach your breaking point.  I have not gotten to the part of the book where she gives her insight to this.  I basically read and nodded my head the whole time and figured out I am an "exploder who blames others."

This can be described as someone who talks and/or yells because someone else did something to not listen to you.  Here is an example from my personal life...

While reading with Brendan (I mean just minutes after I figured out the above) he starts getting fidgety and restless.  I take a few deep breaths and ask him calmly to stop and continue reading.  He does for a moment and then starts talking in weird voices, becoming distracted, and goofing around.
(Just reading this now makes me see how I should have just stopped and said, "Brendan lets just read this later.")
I ask him again to stop (still calmly) and he starts repeating me and laughing. 
(I can feel inside the tension building and where I justify yelling.  If he would just listen I wouldn't have to yell.)
 So I start getting frustrated and shout out, "Just go to your room if you're going to act like this.  I'm trying to help you and you're not listening!"
(Total feeling of defeat...Lysa shared she felt like this MANY times! So it is okay.  I mean Rome wasn't built in a day.)
Brendan ran down to his room crying and shouting because yet again I raised my voice and blamed him. 

Not my finest moment by far and yet again I felt overwhelmed and angry at myself for getting wrapped up in my emotions.  Lysa also shares a steady stream of Bible verses and stories in her book which I find so helpful.  Maybe just taking that extra moment before I shout to ask for God's help would calm me down enough to see the situation clearly.

People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue.  It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.  James 3:7-8 NLT

*I'm going to keep updated my progress and thoughts while I read this book.  She also blogs at www.LysaTerKeurst.com  which I'm going to check out.  I haven't yet.*

Pregnancy brain...

You know when you start doing something and then five seconds later can't remember what you were doing.  This can also be referred to as "Mommy brain" or "Old Age brain" or "I just can't remember anything anymore brain"...

Just in the last few weeks I've been noticing it a lot more.  I've done the following things.

• Put the croutons in the cheese drawer in fridge and then could not find them in the cupboard
• Bought a 2 liter of sparkling water at Kroger and then came home without it and have no idea how it got lost between the store and the trunk of my car
• Put my pj pants on backwards and couldn't figure out why there were strings coming out the back of my pants
• Put a La Croix in the freezer and found it just before it exploded
• Put water bottles in the freezer and forgot about them until they were frozen solid
• Got a potato out of the fridge and washed it to make a baked potato.  Walked to basement to get more paper towels to set it on in microwave and then got on computer for 40 minutes forgetting about said potato on the counter and paper towels in basement
• Finally just remembered and got towels and put potato in microwave.  Ran to the bathroom and got sick and forgot about potato.
• Came downstairs to basement to type this out and just remembered potato is done in the microwave...

Niagara Day 2

Day 2 was packed with fun activities from 9:45am-10:30pm!  We purchased Adventure Passes for admission into all activities surrounding the falls and Lila only liked one (included 4).  This also gave us 2 day transportation with the WeGo bus line which was wonderful!  We could hop onto a bus (unless some other people cut in front of you in line!) and take it anywhere in the area.  The kids loved riding it and I loved giving my feet a rest for a few minutes.

 Waving to grandma on the Niagara Falls webcam!  She saw us!

 Niagara's Fury...a movie/simulation.  Lila did not enjoy being snowed on, in a windstorm, or a thunderstorm.

 Journey Behind the Falls...this was amazing!  To be so close to the falls!

 Lila thought the wind was fun.

 Behind the falls

 On the WeGo bus

 White Water Walk.  Amazing to walk next to such dangerous rapids.  Plus the water such a beautiful color!

 Getting ready for the Maid of the Mist boat ride

 We stood in the back to avoid the full-force of the mist with Lila

 She was terrified of the sound, wind, and mist.

 Wax museum=creepy place to visit

 The Sky Wheel!

We were beat by the time we got to our hotel that night and the kids were asleep in about 10 minutes and slept in the following morning along with Jason.  I was able to have a quiet peaceful breakfast alone. 

Back to reality

We headed on a little family vacation this past week and now back to the reality of laundry, cleaning, and cooking.  Brendan came into my room this morning when he woke up and asked if we could go back to Niagara Falls because it was so fun.  I agree.  Sleeping in a room that someone else cleans everyday.  Eating out where someone else cooks the food.  That's the life.  I still had to pay $2 Canadian dollars to dry the swimsuits and towels before we could pack up.  Oh well.  Can't have everything right?

Here are some highlight pictures from Day 1

Day 2, 3, and 4 to come

Week 24{365 project} or Better late than never

June 11

Goldfinch hanging onto house

June 12

Impromptu beach day

June 13

Brendan's kindergarten graduation

June 14

Making pictures for all his friends at school

June 15

Last day of school 2011-2012

June 16

Aren't they sweet?  Well they are good at acting.

June 17

"No Riley.  Lila's snack."

Her uncle's dog is always trying to sneak her food.